Causality
by Pelbarigan
Summary: Set during Season 2. Hoshi frets, Archer eats pie, and Trip explains that the future made him do it. A fluffy fic of fairly questionable taste.


Title: Causality 

Author: Pelbarigan (pelbarigan@hotmail.com) 

Fandom: ENT 

Disclaimer: If it is in fact true that every possibility is played out in a parallel universe, then somewhere out there is a reality in which I do own Enterprise and its characters.  Unfortunately, this isn't it.  Here, Enterprise is the property of Paramount.  Damn. 

Pairing: T/S 

Rating: PG-13 for some sexual content.

Summary: Hoshi frets, Archer eats pie, and Trip explains that the future made him do it.  A fluffy fic of questionable taste. 

Author's Note: I'm relatively new at this, so any comments, observations or constructive criticisms are welcome.  As always, thanks to all those who edited and reviewed the first drafts: Rhiannon, James, Marc and Apocalypse. 

This story is set during Season 2, probably shortly after "Future Tense."  There are some comments in this story that Trip would never make after the attack on Earth.

"Oh, God," Hoshi groaned again, pulling her shirt over her head. She straightened it anxiously and turning to Trip, let her voice drop to a whisper. "He's still out there. I just know it."   
  
Trip sighed and zipped up his jumpsuit. He could understand her nervousness, but he wished she'd calm down just a little. Her mood was infectious, and at the moment, he was trying to think what they were going to do next.   
  
"Maybe he left," he tried to sound hopeful. "Maybe he was so surprised that he just....went back to his quarters. And if we're lucky, by tomorrow he'll convince himself that the entire thing was all just a dream."   
  
Hoshi narrowed her eyes at him in an expression that was anything but convinced.   
  
"You said no one would be here at this time of night," she accused flatly. "You said the captain wouldn't be awake for _hours_."   
  
"Well," said Trip uncomfortably, "Sometimes even the best of us make mistakes."   
  
Hoshi continued to glare.   
  
"Hey now!" he protested. "No one forced you into this. As I remember, you thought it was a pretty good idea at the time! And talk about laying blame; I just finished fifteen straight hours in Engineering. I think that puts the burden of responsibility firmly on your shoulders, Miss Sato, because at this point, I sure don't have the energy to undress you _and think clearly."   
  
Hoshi surprised him and suddenly broke into a smile. He was reminded of gorgeous she could be when she smiled.   
  
"Trip Tucker, you're so full of it."   
  
He felt himself grin, "Yeah, but rumor has it there's a certain Ensign who likes me anyway. Now, put on your shoes; we can't stay in here forever."   
  
"Unfortunately," she replied darkly and bent down to find where her shoes had landed. One had apparently made it under the table and she disappeared retrieving it. A moment later, she reappeared and settled herself on the floor to put them on.   
  
"So this disaster is my fault?" she asked casually as she tied the laces.   
  
"That's pretty much how I'm seein' it," said Trip, gazing absently out the window at the stars.   
  
"So _if_ the captain's still out there..."   
  
"You explain how you manipulated me in my weakened state."   
  
"And if there's any punishment I suppose it's my duty to 'fall on the sword'?"   
  
Trip grimaced. "Nice choice of words there, Hosh. I thought linguists were supposed to be good with language."   
  
"I thought senior officers were supposed to look out for those under them."   
  
"Knock it off, will ya?"   
  
Hoshi laughed and stretched out her arms. He pulled her to her feet and drew her close to him. Face to face, he put one arm around her waist and stroked her cheek in a gesture he hoped was reassuring.   
  
"Whatever happens, it'll be okay."   
  
She snorted lightly. "What makes you so sure?"   
  
"I'll think of something."   
  
"'I'll'? As in 'I _will_'?"   
  
"You just gotta give me a second here, Hoshi."   
  
"Wonderful."   
  
"Well, there's not alot else we can do at this point. Now, are you ready?"   
  
"I guess." She sighed and straightened his tousled blond hair with her fingers. "Any famous last words?"   
  
"Yeah," he leaned forward to touch the panel beside the door. "This is still all your fault."   
  
"Bastard."   
  
  
* * * * *   
  
  
Jonathan Archer sat in the darkness of an empty Mess Hall, eating a slice of pecan pie in grim silence. He'd seen his friend Trip devour extra helpings of Chef's desserts when he was under stress, and all things considered, it didn't seem like a bad idea. It was either that, or he could walk down to Sickbay and ask if Phlox had a procedure to bleach his brain.   
  
Absently, he made a move to jab another bite with his fork only to discover there was nothing left. Sighing, Jon stacked his empty plate on top of the last two and considered going for fourths. He certainly wasn't finding much enjoyment in eating, but at least it was providing a good distraction for the moment.   
  
Jon wondered again if he shouldn't just leave. Admittedly, it would be easier to simply return to his quarters and go to bed. In the morning, he could tell himself the entire incident had been a bad dream. Maybe, he'd even be able to look Trip and Hoshi in the eyes.   
  
Probably not.   
  
As he sat there, waiting for the Ensign and the Commander to emerge from the Captain's Mess, he kept wondering if he wasn't partly at fault for the entire disaster. After all, a slightly wiser person, on investigating strange sounds in an apparently deserted Mess Hall, might have been a bit more cautious. At least he could have knocked before opening the door to the reserved dining room.   
  
Exactly what he had expected to find he wasn't sure. He was tired, not thinking clearly and driven by his curiosity. So when the door slid back to reveal his linguistics expert straddling his Chief Engineer on top of the table, he'd only been able to stand, frozen and gaping stupidly, while his brain tried to process exactly what was happening.   
  
The shock must have been mutual because there was a long moment of silence, until finally Hoshi gave a small yelp and twisted away from Jon, her hands covering her chest. Trip sat up, looking as if he were about to say something, but before he could manage a horrified apology Jon was already backing out of the doorway.   
  
He'd said something that may have been "When you're dressed, Trip," but just as likely had been incomprehensible stammering. Outside, he quickly pressed the button to shut the door again. Then he jabbed it several more times, just to be safe.   
  
So here he was, sitting in the dark, eating pie and waiting for Trip and Hoshi to appear so he could give them the angry lecture they deserved. As much as the idea embarrassed him, they were both going to get an earful about the conduct expected of bridge officers and proper respect for other people's dining surfaces.   
  
Just then, the door to the Captain's Mess opened. Jon pushed his plate away and stood as the two reluctantly approached across the Mess Hall. He noted how Hoshi was looking resolutely at the floor and Trip was clenching his hands at his side.   
  
"Just what in Hell did you think you were doing?!" he barked as they stopped in front of him. Both of them jumped. Hoshi glanced up and met his eyes with a look of sheer misery. Good, he thought grimly.   
  
"Cap'n, I..." Trip managed before words failed him.   
  
"Well, if you're going to say something, say it!" he practically shouted.   
  
Hoshi finally spoke, still looking at the ground. "Captain, we're very sorry."   
  
"Yeah. We never...well, we never meant for you to see that." Trip grimaced.   
  
"Never meant for me to see that!" Archer snorted. "I catch the two of you - _officers_ - naked on my table like a couple of stupid, irresponsible, hormonal teenagers and that's all you can say for yourselves?!"   
  
Jon saw the look of indignation flash across Trip's face.   
  
"Yes, Commander?" Jon asked, easing himself into his chair and giving Trip a look that _dared_ him to try to defend himself. "I'm listening."   
  
The strangest thing happened at that moment. Just as Archer was certain Trip was about to come back with an angry retort, the anger disappeared from his face to be replaced momentarily by a detached expression. Archer had known his friend long enough to recognize it. It was the look Trip got while working on a difficult engineering problem, nearly tuning the rest of the world out while he focused on finding a workable solution.   
  
The expression was gone the next instant. Instead, Trip was looking him in the eyes again. There was no trace of anger or embarrassment left, and if Jon hadn't known better, he would have thought his friend was smiling.   
  
"Well," began Trip quietly, "there's no use goin' on like this. The mistake's been made and now we need to fix it. There's too much at stake here."   
  
Archer scowled in confusion, "Just what are you talking about?"   
  
"Trip?" Hoshi looked up in confusion.   
  
"Now, now, Hoshi, it's already too late to pretend." He smiled at Archer and sighed almost sadly, "Will you look at that? Still playing innocent. I tell you, it's inspiring. She's been though Hell and back for the sake of this mission, and she's still actin' her part as flawlessly as ever. But that's our Hoshi after all, brilliant and dedicated. It's no wonder she was chosen."   
  
"Trip, I -" she began.   
  
"No, Ensign," Trip turned to her before she could go any further. He leaned forward and gently gripped her shoulders, looking into her eyes with a pleading expression. "I understand your concern. They warned us __both about the possible consequences before this assignment, but the Cap'n's already seen things he shouldn't have. Can't you see we're in even greater danger if we __don't tell him the truth now?"   
  
"Commander?" Archer interrupted. He knew he should be angry, but instead he just felt lost.   
  
Again, Trip sighed. Straightening up, he faced his captain and took a deep breath. The next words out of his mouth were ones Archer would have never expected.   
  
"Captian - uh, Jon. I know this is alot to swallow, but the truth is Ensign Sato and I aren't exactly the same people you saw on the bridge today.....We're from the future."   
  
There was a long moment of silence.   
  
"The **WHAT**?!"   
  
Trip continued on, his voice as calm as before. "Eighteen months, more or less."   
  
Jon gaped at Trip in disbelief. "You don't _seriously_ expect me to _believe_ that?!"   
  
His engineer frowned, looking almost hurt. "Of course I do. As you've told us, you've experienced time travel first-hand."   
  
"Only because I was caught up in the Temporal Cold War!"   
  
Trip snorted, "And why do you think we've been brought back to the past?"   
  
"I _don't_ think -" he began, rising from his chair again.   
  
"Jon, please," Trip pleaded softly, motioning for Archer to sit back down. To his surprise, Jon found himself doing just that.   
  
Trip gave an exasperated sigh and rubbed his temples with his fingertips. "Alright, maybe I should try from the beginning.   
  
"Hoshi and I were recruited for a mission a couple of weeks ago our time - about a year and a half in the future from your perspective. Now __that's a strange experience: one minute you're dozin' off for the night, the next you're standin' in a strange room in a whole 'nother century, still in your pajamas. I can't give you too many details without riskin' damage to our own timeline, but it's probably safe to tell you that we're workin' for some of Crewmen Daniels' people in the thirty-first century. Nice folks, the ones we met - couldn't trust humanity's future to a better group of people."   
  
"Even if what you were saying were true, that still wouln't explain -"   
  
"Captain, I'm not finished yet."   
  
"Oh, well in _that_ case -"   
  
Trip chose to ignore the sarcasm in Archer's voice. "You know better than almost anyone how important the Enterprise mission is, not just for all of us in the present, but to the future of humanity! We've already seen just what the other side will do to tamper with us - they know that even small changes here can tip the balance in their Temporal Cold War.   
  
"And that's where Hoshi and I come in. Cap'n, this war's not being fought in any one place and time - it's happenin' all up and down our timeline. In more places than we might imagine, there's an unseen struggle to determine the outcome of important events. And now the both of us -" Trip put his arm around Hoshi's shoulder, "-have been sent back to protect the future. Our orders are to alter certain events in this portion of our history so that we have the best shot for winnin' this war."   
  
Jon sat thoughtfully for a moment. "Alright," he replied finally, "So you're here to save the future. All well and good, Trip, but you __still haven't explained what the Captain's Mess has to do with the Temporal Cold War."   
  
Trip sighed, "Even I'm not clear on the reasons behind all our missions. Ensign Sato and I have only been told so much; mostly we're given orders based on complex analysis of 'historical' events. Sometimes the effects we're working for are obvious; a major accident prevented, a life saved. Other times, we just change the tiniest details of everyday life. Why, one of Hoshi's orders has been to move Chef's coffee cup to a different cupboard. It's totally meaningless from our perspective, but for all we know that small difference affects the rate of human expansion into the galaxy."   
  
"Hoshi, is this true? I notice you haven't said much."   
  
She blushed slightly but kept her voice level, "As the junior officer on this mission, I believe I should leave the explanations to Commander Tucker's discretion."   
  
"Brilliant, dedicated, and apparently very prudent," Jon commented as the engineer gave her a look that wasn't quite a glare. When Hoshi didn't respond, Tucker continued.   
  
"If I could, I'd explain everything I know about this mission to you, sir. But orders are orders, and if I give you the full explanation now, that right there alters the timeline and threatens what we've been working so hard to accomplish. So right now all I can do is ask you to do what I've learned to do: trust that that we're working for the greater good here even when our actions wouldn't seem to amount to anything important. After all, the smallest of events can sometimes have the greatest effects. What is it they say? That a butterfly flappin' it's wings in the Amazon can cause a hurricane over the Atlantic?"   
  
"Commander, you're asking me to believe that - that what you and Ensign Sato were doing tonight is vital to the future of humanity."   
  
"I'm not asking you, sir! I'm pleadin' with you!" Trip cried, suddenly passionate. "Across centuries, good men and women are fighting - fighting and _dying_ - to protect our future! This isn't just about you or me, the Enterprise mission, or even humanity! This war is for the fate of dozens of species and countless billions of lives across hundreds and hundreds of years! To you it's just a table -"   
  
"It _is_ a table. It's __my table!" Archer interjected sourly.   
  
"It's the battleground on which we're fightin' to determine our **DESTINY**!"   
  
Archer leaned back in his chair and regarded his officers. Hoshi, Tucker's arm still around her shoulder, was staring straight ahead without meeting his eyes. Trip, meanwhile, was looking at him so intently, so earnestly that it was almost hard not to wonder.   
  
What if....?   
  
Jon shook his head. What was he thinking?   
  
"Well," he said, "Battle for the future aside, what am I supposed to do with the two of you?"   
  
"Nothing, sir," responded Trip firmly.   
  
"Nothing?" Archer raised an eyebrow.   
  
"Given the circumstances, I don't see what you __could do. You might try to discipline us in the morning, but by that point, we'll most likely have been brought back to our own time. It will be the Trip and Hoshi from this present that get the punishment, and franky, they haven't done anything to deserve that. Besides being unfair, that kind of action could lead to absolute catastrophe. Can you imagine the pollution to the timeline? You mention what happened here tonight, and you not only jeopardize what we were trying to accomplish, you risk all sorts of temporal paradoxes. Our folks in the future already have enough on their plate. You don't _really_ want to force them to tackle that sort of mess as well, do you?"   
  
"So what would you suggest?"   
  
Trip was looking thoughtful. "I don't think that you should do anything. I realize that walkin' in on Hoshi and I upset you, but to avoid repercussions to the timeline, I think the safest thing you can do is pretend the whole thing never happened. Don't punish us, and certainly never, ever mention it."   
  
"Just act as if the whole thing never happened?"   
  
"Exactly."   
  
"To protect your mission?"   
  
"And the outcome of the war itself," Trip nodded.   
  
Archer realized suddenly that he was no longer angry. Genuinely irritated, yes, but perhaps slightly amused as well. Certainly, it was satisfying to watch Trip trying to pull himself and Ensign Sato out of this predicament. Trip might be all self-assurance on the surface, but it couldn't be easy defending his ridiculous explanation. No matter what he decided to do with his two officers, the strain on his Engineer was something in itself. One small measure of revenge for his furniture, he thought with an inward smile.   
  
Still, it wouldn't do to make things _too_ easy for the pair.   
  
"Ah," Archer said as if Trip were simply stating the obvious, "Naturally. Well, I hope you can appreciate my initial confusion. Because of course," he dropped his amicable tone and let his voice take on a dangerous edge, "from my perspective, it simply looked as if you and Ensign Sato were having sex in my private Mess."   
  
Hoshi's face went paler. Trip actually blushed, and Jon thought that while Tucker was trying hard to maintain his calm demeanor, the effort required was finally beginning to show.   
  
"An understandable mistake, sir," Trip just managed to keep his voice even, "But of course, under normal circumstances, Hoshi and I would __never do something as stupid or impetuous -"   
  
"Oh, of course not," Jon agreed, enjoying himself now that Trip had been thrown off balance.   
  
"- I mean, even if we were involved romantically - not to say we are or would be - but I can assure you we'd show more discretion, not to mention __common sense. If the situation were any different, you never would have seen that, and of course, well, now that we've followed our orders, you don't have to worry -"   
  
"Glad to hear it," Jon stopped Trip before he could go any further. "Well, I'm relieved you managed to explain everything to me, Commander. And now that I do have the full story behind this little incident..." He trailed off and stared at the two, considering.   
  
Archer felt he should be doing something more to punish the two, but he was tired, three slices of pecan pie were beginning to give him a stomachache, and he wanted desperately to go back to bed. The idea of accepting Trip's impossible story and ignoring the whole incident was undeniably appealing.   
  
On the other side of the table both of his officers waited expectantly, and he let the silence stretch. After a full minute of Hoshi's pleading expression and Trip's strained composure, he finally relented.   
  
"Well, far be it for me to jeopardize the future of the species," Jon said, rising from his chair.   
  
Trip brightened. Hoshi actually looked hopeful.   
  
"I don't suppose," he added, before he turned to leave, "that giving my table a _thorough_ cleaning would have a negative impact on the timeline?"   
  
"I think, sir" Hoshi said tentatively, "that copious amounts of disinfectant could only aid our cause."   
  
"Excellent!" he replied. "Well, goodnight then. I'll see the both of you - uh - later."   
  
  
* * * * *   
  
  
Back in his quarters, Archer got into bed and was almost managed to fall asleep again before a thought occurred. Going to his desk, he turned on his computer and recorded a brief message for the ship's steward.   
  
"Anderson, I just wanted to let you know I won't be having breakfast in the Captain's Mess tomorrow. I'll be taking my meals in my quarters for the next week. Hmmm...actually...I think I'll be making that the next two."   
  
  
* * * * *   
  
  
Bent over the table in the Captain's Mess, Trip wondered if he would ever get the smell of lemons off of his hands. The scent of the chemicals was overpowering, and the fumes were starting to make him dizzy.   
  
On the other side of the table, Hoshi was scrubbing furiously with her rag. Once again, she'd managed to work herself into a state of anxiety.   
  
"Oh my God, I just had a thought! What the captain has breakfast in here with T'Pol? Vulcan women have a strong sense of smell! Do you think she'll be able - ?"   
  
"Hoshi," Trip said wearily, "I think we have enough cleaner here to blind Porthos's sense of smell."   
  
She fell silent but continued scrubbing with the same nervous energy.   
  
"Calm down, will ya?" he said, "Everything turned out just fine."   
  
She looked up and glared, "Fine? Excuse me if I can't share your confidence, Commander."   
  
"Oh, don't start with the ranks -"   
  
"Fine? You say everything is fine after trying to use that __preposterous explanation on Captain Archer? He may have left, but do you actually think he actually believed any of it? So now, not only do we have the fact that he found us -" she made a wild gesture at the table between them, "But the indignity of watching us attempting to use such a __blatant, __stupid -"   
  
"Hey now!" Trip interrupted angrily "I was never dumb enough to think he would believe any of it."   
  
"Oh?"   
  
"Of course not. I wasn't trying to convince him we were from the future, I was just trying to convince him not to punish us!"   
  
"Uh-huh."   
  
Trip sighed. "Listen, Captain Archer didn't want to be there for that lecture any more than we did, but as the captain, he has to address bad behavior among his people. What he needed was a pretense so that after he's finished givin' us a piece of his mind, he could send us on our way and act like the whole thing never happened. By the way, don't bother to thank me for saving us both from any formal discipline. For that matter, don't bother thankin' me when all three of us can carry on like normal on the bridge tomorrow."   
  
Hoshi shook her head, "Trip, you realize you could have saved us all the time and preposterous story and just _asked_ the captain if we couldn't just ignore the whole thing."   
  
Trip gave her a lopsided grin, "You may not have noticed there, Hosh, but Archer wasn't exactly happy with either of us. I doubt he was going to ignore his responsibilities just to do the two of us any favors."   
  
"Then why - ?"   
  
"Well, I didn't put it to him that way, did I? Hell, he probably thought I really was trying to convince him we were from the future, but he played along because he understood it's easier for all of us that way. Don't think he didn't have me worried there for a minute, but, in the end, I gave him an opportunity and he took it sure as anything." Trip laughed suddenly, "Forget butterflies in the Amazon, Hoshi! That's causality."   
  
Hoshi snorted delicately, "Such brilliance, Mr. Tucker. I'm sorry I ever doubted you."   
  
Trip sniffed indignantly. "You should learn to have more faith in your Engineers, Hoshi. We're good for more than fixin' plasma manifolds."   
  
"So I hear," she replied slyly.   
  
"Speakin' of which..." he looked at her meaningfully.   
  
"Oh no! You may have gotten out of one tight situation tonight, but don't think you've made it back to my good side just yet. I think the future holds at least a good week of sleeping alone for you, Trip."   
  
"Harsh, Ensign! Harsh!"   
  
"Now who's bringing up rank?"   
  
She laughed and threw her rag at his face. He caught it neatly in midair and walked around the table to return it to her, standing close enough for their bodies to touch as he placed it back into her hands.   
  
"So it's a lost cause? There's nothing I can do to change your mind?"   
  
She looked up and gave him the barest of smiles, "Well, seeing as you did get us out of the situation with the captain, I suppose I could give you the opportunity to convince me."   
  
"Really?"   
  
"It'll have to be pretty good though..."   
  
He smiled widely and turned back to scrubbing the table in front of them.   
  
"Well, Commander? I'm waiting."   
  
"I'm workin' on it," he leaned over to kiss her cheek and take a moment to stroke her dark hair.   
  
"Just be patient, Hoshi darlin', and give a guy a minute to think."   
  
_


End file.
